How did we get here?

Main Point: The triune God is the Creator of all things, presently reigning over all peoples and places to accomplish His purposes in the world.

Psalm 8:1 ESV

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Discussion

What were your biggest take aways from the readings this week?

What are two questions you have coming into this week’s group session?

Has anyone done the “Sovereignty of God and Sabbath” assignment yet?

Does anyone want to reshare their “Life Story”?

Creation

What are some of the big questions surrounding what the Bible says about the creation of the world?

“Timeline? How did he do it? Dinosaurs?”

How does a person’s view of creation shape the way they view the world?

What do you believe are the essentials of the Christian doctrine of creation?

These are Tier I things.

“Our creation story determines where everything else is headed” (Kyle Worley)

Read: Genesis 1 Genesis 1:1-5

Genesis 1:6-8

Genesis 1:9-13

Genesis 1:14-19

Genesis 1:20-23

Genesis 1:24-31

Genesis 2:1-3

How? does this happen? ex nihlio - “Out of nothing”

This is the unique act of God where He founded all creaturely reality.

He didn’t need help or use preexisting matter.

It was all from Him.

Everything that was created was created out of nothing.

This shows the world’s dependence on God.

The Uncreated the created from nothing.

He is the infinite and sovereign owner of everything because everything came from Him.

He simply spoke, and nothing became something.

Proverbs 8:22-30

The term ex nihilo cuts off all kinds of other philosophies.

There was no matter before God spoke.

There was not atoms floating until they combined.

God spoke with ex nihilo power and everything became.

Everything has its being only because God said it could and desires it to.

God is intensely powerful and personal in creation.

With man, He gets face to face.

Genesis 2:7 “7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.”

God gets nose to nose with Adam and breathes His breath into Adam’s lungs.

At the moment that God gave Adam His breath is the moment he became a living creature.

What makes us distinct from God? Creation compared to Creator?

Discussion

How does the original audience of Genesis shape the way we read and interpret Genesis 1-2?

Who is the original audience?

What impact does the distinctly Christian account of creation have on how we view the value and dignity of creation and all life?

What about the value and dignity of human life in particular?

Providence

“Providence is God’s continued care and fatherly governance over the whole of His creation” (Kyle Worley)

Providence is God’s preservation and governance of the universe.

God uses His governing power to oversee His creation and work out His plans for it.

Why do things exist??

“That things exist and the way they exist are grounded solely in God’s good pleasure” (Herman Bavinck)

Proverbs 16:9 “9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 16:23 “23 The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.”

What are some objections to God’s providence?

Humans are characterized by moral free will. We are the creators and masters of our own destiny.

What is the issue with this?

This ideology limits God’s governance to the world—It banishes him from it, leaving our lives to chance.

Do Christians believe in chance? Superstition? Luck?

Is there a time in Creation where the counsel and governance of God ends and the independent human will and action begins?

No. We mustn’t put God’s sovereignty and human freedom in competition.

Scripture rejects this competition.

Scripture teaches that faith is a gift of God’s grace; a work of God.

Faith/unbelief, salvation and perdition, are not just what God sees with His foreknowledge, but they are also of His will and decree.

Jesus was brutally murdered on the cross according to the definite plan of God (Acts 2:23).

God’s will is not passive; it’s active. God is an active player in human history.

We don’t have faith in ourselves. It’s not our own accomplishment (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The Christian life is a life lived in Christ by the Spirit.

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

It’s no longer our life. It’s Christ’s life through us.

Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

If we love God, He works all things together for our ultimate good.

We have been called according to His purpose!

How do we deal with God’s providence and suffering?

We need to start by not trying to answer hard apologetic question. We are trying to minister to people’s souls and their actual stories.

This is a hard question to answer because it’s a hard question to answer.

You can only know what suffering/darkness because you know what goodness/beauty is.

We can only know that there is suffering and brokenness because we know where we came from (Genesis 1-2). We know that things are not the way they were created to be.

“One of the reasons we explore these doctrines with the lights on (things are going well) is so when all the lights go off, we can stand on them without having to say them again” (Kyle Worley)

We can rest on providence in hard times.

We don’t have to even say it, because we believe it and it shapes us in those moments.

Discussion

What is you main takeaway from this session?

How is the Christian concept of providence difference from the idea of fate?

What is the difference between omnipotence and sovereignty?

We do we need God to possess both?

Pre-Work 10.29.25

Turn and Tell: With whom can you share something you learned in this session? What do you plan to share with them?

Sovereignty of God and Sabbath Assignment

Re-read Genesis 1-2.

Read “Who Are We?” from You Are a Theologian.

Christian Formation Assignment: “Sovereignty of God and Sabbath”

Over the next two weeks, at one specific time and place, spend two to three uninterrupted hours with the Lord.

Expectations:

Choose an environment with no distractions (electronics, advertisements, people)

Find a space by yourself; don’t take a buddy.

Bring only two things: a Bible and a journal.

Aside from these guidelines, there are no expectations for your time with the Lord. You are free to interact with Him in whatever way He prompts you.

We will discuss this assignment together on 10.29.2025.

Here are some questions we’ll ask:

What was your experience?

Was this assignment difficult? Why or why not?

What did you learn about God and about yourself?

How can you incorporate this spiritual discipline in everyday life?